Irish Hip Hop SuperThread

To keep the ball rolling, or to keep this thread lit, next up is G.I. of the Working Class Records crew. He has a sound engineering background, or at least followed that path when he started to persue hip hop. This is evident in how audibly clean the product that is being produced.

GI is a producer and rapper, he would be known for his production on Lethal Dialects (also Working Class) first 2 albums LD50 1 and LD 50 2.

He also released a solo album called UnderWorld in 2012 which is pretty darn good:
http://giofficial.bandcamp.com/album/underworld

His moody beats and mainly uptempo monotoneish delivery compliment each other extremely well. His ryhme structure is insane in places to boot.

Here is his solo instrumental album called Balck Tuna from early 2013, not a free download, but you can listen to or buy from:
http://giofficial.bandcamp.com/album/black-tuna

This is one of the outstanding instrumental albums I have heard in recent years, not only from Ireland, but globally. Tone, mood, production are all extremely cohesive to produce dare I say a masterpiece?

Here is his collaboration album with fellow Workin Class memeber Costello:
http://gicostello.bandcamp.com/album/maryjane

Here's how the Irish Times descibes him arund the time of LD 50 being released.

The gnarly production nous of GI, will hook you from the start as he create smokey, dark, dense beats
that perfectly encapsulate the claustrophobic, menacing world that Lethal Dialect seeks to evoke.
Brilliantly constructed sonic, stoner-like murk. - Irish Times

I've also seen G.I. perform live a few times, and his live show is one that would be hard to describe, he recreates his music really well, but there is a certain extra element or swagger that comes accross when he is on the stage.

G.I. (along with labelmates Costello and Willa Lee) was also followed around by a documentary crew a few years back, and an award winning Film/Documentary called Broken Song has resulted.

Next up I believe is an album called Bobby Tuna Diaries which a couple of tracks are available from so far. I'm looking forward to this.

Not a complete list of Irish Hip Hop, but a decent reference point:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_hip_hop#2013

Planning on doing a little write up on The Animators for this thread, but in advance of that, they are releasing an album tonight and having an album release party in the Bernard Shaw tonight from 8. There is also an art event running, live performance of new material, free goodies and free beer. That's right, free beer.
They'll also be premiering the video for this track:

https://soundcloud.com/theanimatorsofficial/the-animators-those-were-the

I had full intentions of being there, but wont be able to make it now due to other stuff coming up.

I'd expect a good night and there will be a few of the Irish Hip Hop heads there as well.

HighClass wrote: »

New album from 4Real. I'm only a few tracks in and it's already a classic. One of the best to ever do it in Ireland.

https://4real2.bandcamp.com

Very good album, although the tone really does need a switch up. I found it difficult to digest in one sitting....it probably was the perfect length though. I do find this wit some other working class albums as well although sometimes they drag on 1 or 2 tracks too long.

An album that I stumbled accross is Seabury Heights by Dusty Residents that I'll be listening to today.

http://dustyresidents.bandcamp.com/album/seabury-heights

After a flick through, it sounds impressive, heavier drums and lots of melodies which i dig alot.

Alan Newman has been around the Irish Hop Hip scene for a while now, but has started to really put a stamp on things now. He's been behind a few different projects but you may not recognise the name yet.....but I'm confident that he'll become someone that is talked about alot more in times to come...this year will be a big one for him.

I've been trying to dig up info on him for this thread for a month or so now and came close to giving up, but I got in touch with him as I think he's a perfect candidate to talk about on this thread. Luckily he responded to me within a few seconds, so I have something to write about! He has embraced Irish Hip Hop in a number of ways.

He started out in 2009 operating the Blaze hip hop night in Dublin, he got the likes of Mav Sabre and Ruth Anne Cunningham playing on the stage.
He then took that national, and toured Ireland building up contacts with out rappers/singers/producers and got the people he found along the way networking with each other on projets and events.

He then got video direction/production credits on his CV with videos for:
Natural B - I'm Feeling You' -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u50i8Dw6Ocw

He then started a Hip Hop group called The Animators which I'm sure we've all heard of, produced some of their songs and helped them get national media attention. Was involved in the video side of things as well for The Animators, here's the videos he assisted on:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5VHKqb9o1k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyveD60-SzI

Then he went on to do the video for Leiko/Siyo/Woody for 'The Break Up', which he also produced the beat for. Was video producer fo the Rob Kelly 'The Real Thing'....then went on to do videos and produce beats for the likes of Rob Steenson, NuCentz, Funzo, Leiko, dipped back into the media and got exposure for Rob Kelly and Rebecca Creighton nationally.

Then he started working with The Apartment Six Club, then back to working with Rob Steenson, Funzo, Dizzy Daz, NuCentz, Collie Collins, Lethal Dialect all on music, press and videos.

And then, what I believe to be a voltron type move, he put all the above experience and contacts together and got the Boss Level Series up and running. Here's the first one called Boss Level - Part 1 which he produced the beat for and produced the video for along with Jonathan Lambert:



That track has gone past national exposure, I've read comments that DJ's have been playing it 'In Da Club' over in the US of A and has got tremendous reception. The song also has 3 (that I know of) boards hip hop forum posters from the past.

Next up is the next installment of Boss Level, Boss Level - Part 2. It actually just gots it's first airing on the radio over the weekend, and there will be a video to accompany it.
Part 3 is also in the works as well, which Bitter Rocc told me one night has an insane beat....and I think Rocc also has a verse on it to boot.

Also in recent times has been involved in the Funzo 'Just A Thought' video that although not hip hop is awell worth a listen/watch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omjPgb-5FMk

So Alan has been behind the scenes alot for the past few years and worked on alot of different projects that have been discussed on the forum over the years. I havn't covered alot of what he has done, or what he has planned for this year. But kudos to him for investing alot of time and effort into the Irish Hip Hop scene.

Next up is Messiah J & The Expert. I know plenty on this topic as me and The Ex have been very close friends since our early teens. So I'm going to go waaaay back on this.
It was a clear morning in February 1981 when The Experts mother started to experience contractions.......maybe I shouldn't go that far back

But i'll go back to about '95 or '96 when I went with The Expert into town and he was picking himself out a Christmas present. So with his budget and savings he bought one turntable and a mixer. I actually prompted him to buy a mixer that had a 16 second sample bank where we would be able to loop beats and punch in vocal samples. We along with another couple of friends (Nick Fury of the Spectrum Drum n Bass crew and Davey Sexton, photographer extrordinaire and Music Video Director) had aspirations of having a rap group. We actually got as far as cutting a few demos that I have still have to this day but would never listen to. But for many reasons, it didn't work out for us, and we just enjoyed scratching and the whatnot instead.
But The Expert went on to picking up a copy of CuBase and that's when things really took off for him. He started making beats, and around the same time we were getting cosy with a few of the 'heads' that were always at the same gigs and in the same record shops picking up the latest releases. Messiah J at the time was a battle style rapper and was one of those people, I recall the first time I really paid attention to him was at the L-Fudge gig in the Tunnel (i think) and he got up and freestyled with L-Fudge....and blew everyone else away.
For ya'll that would be a bit younger, back in them days, the crowd would always be invited up for a freestyle session at gigs.....some may even remember the guy who thought he was Rahzel from The Roots and continually embarrassed himself
So a group decided to form and called themselves The StoneCutters. Messiah J, The Ex, DJ Mayhem, Relevance and a few others. But nothing really major happened there, then J, Ex and Mayhem splintered off to form Creative Controle. Although they had fun as The Stonecutters, the trio had a bit more focus and common direction on sound and what they wanted to achieve. Then the track Bloodrush was created

Leagues O'Toole picked them up for his label and they released 2 singles.

Believe it or not, they didn't want this battle rap style, but the Bloodrush track just evolved into it, it was still a song that was requested up until thier last gig.

A few singles were released and then some personel change. DJ Mayhem left the group, and DJ Flip came on board for gigs and scratches on the recordings.....some people may not know this, but The Expert is also a tidy turntablist as well. Then the name change to Messiah J & The Expert happened.

The next bit, I'm just going to rob from Wikipedia

What's Confusing You? (2003 - 2006)

In 2002, Messiah J & The Expert opted to continue as a two-piece and shortly after changed their name. Their first release under the name Messiah J & The Expert, the single "First Place", was released in September 2003, quickly followed by their debut album, What's Confusing You?. The album included "Bloodrush" and "Check the Vision" which had originally been released by Creative Controle. This incarnation of the band featured DJ Flip and K-Why in their live line-up but by June 2004, the live line-up consisted of Messiah J, The Expert, The Twiddler on bass and G-bone on guitar. They played their last gig of that year in June supporting The Streets in Dublin Castle. They have, over the years, also supported Public Enemy, Gangstarr, De La Soul, Jurassic 5, Wyclef Jean, Buck 65, The Pharcyde, El-P, Jeru The Damaja and others. In 2005, they recorded a session for Steve Lamacq who had heard their demo, Something Outta Nothing, a track that was included on their yet-to-be-finished second album. This also led to plays by other BBC Radio 1 DJs. In March 2006, they released a 12" featuring New York rapper, C-Rayz Walz, entitled When the Bull Gores the Matador on their own label, Inaudible Records.
Now This I Have To Hear (2006 - 2008)

In October 2006, Messiah J & The Expert released the album, Now This I Have To Hear, which was nominated for the Choice Music Prize in January 2007. The album was preceded that September by the release of "Something Outta Nothing", featuring Leda Egri on vocals. The tracks, "Place Your Bets" and "All The Other Girls" were released as singles. A low-key tour mini-album compiling five new tracks and five previously released b-sides, ...And Another Thing was released in 2007. In October 2007, a download-only single, "Superfamous Supertune" was made available from their official website.
From The Word Go (2008 - Present)

Messiah J & The Expert release their third album, From The Word Go, through Inaudible Recordings in October. Assembled between 2006 and 2008 in their own Labbey Road studio, it features collaborations with singers Leda Egri, Joanne Daly and Ro and Kieran from Delorentos. Messiah J reflects:[2]

“It has loads of strings and horns on it and it's pretty catchy. It’s ballsier, riskier, less cluttered, simpler and definitely more eclectic than any of our previous records. The Expert's music is extremely varied. It has bits of indie, reggae, funk, four to the floor dance, psych and 'theme-tune-walk-in-the-ring' hip hop.”

The full track-listing is: ‘Year Of The Genie’, ‘Megaphone Man’, ‘Keep The Noise Down’, ‘Turn The Magic On’, ‘Tomorrow Is Too Late’, ‘Jean Is Planning An Escape’, ‘Guess You Had To Be There’, ‘Geography’, ‘Panic Station’, ‘Amnesia Comes Easily’, ‘Looking For A Long Term Thing’ and ‘The Predicament’.
From the Word Go was nominated for Meteor album of the year award of 2008.[3] Lead single, 'Megaphone Man' reached No. 14 in the Icelandic charts.

I think during or after the recording of What's Confusing You??, The Expert also changed from using Cubase to ProTools, you can hear how more detailed and intricate his production became at this point.

A bit of trivia that some may not know, MJ was banned from RTE for wearing a rude T-Shirt during a live performance.

They a small tour in the US while on the road to SXSW. The Expert ate pizza with Lily Allen there.

The Ex spent nearly 1 year to the day of putting together 1 of the orchastra arrangements on a song.

The Expert has used a sample from the TV show Neighbours in a track, and he always want to use a RZA sample from The Gravediggaz' Diary Of A Madman...he managed to finally use it, and a whole song was made around it.


Messiah J stole my copy of Company Flow 'Funcrusher Plus'.

Currently Messiah J is focusing on married life and career. The Expert is back in college doing nerd things, getting ready to be hitched and still making beats.